The conspicuous absence of Chris Brown from the BET Awards show — essentially a three-hour long tribute to Michael Jackson — was noted by anyone who tuned into the broadcast. The R&B singer — who has earned constant comparisons to Jackson since a 2007 MTV music Awards performance earned him widespread attention — may have been dropped from the list of performers at the request of

Jay-Z. According to The Source, the rapper threatened not to perform if Brown were also a part of the broadcast. It’s obvious whose star power is bigger: Jay-Z took the stage at the show while Brown didn’t make an appearance.

After pleading guilty to charges of assault last week in a Los Angeles courtroom, Brown was sentenced to six months of community service for physically abusing singer and Jay-Z protegé Rihanna in February. [The Source, NME]